How Computer-Aided Design Changed the World

Computer-aided design, better known as CAD, has evolved throughout the past several decades and changed the world for the better. CAD is a term used to define software that engineers, designers, architects, and now the everyday citizen can use to mock-up ideas digitally. This has revolutionized the way that professionals and creatives ideate on a regular basis and has made it easier and more accessible to access the tools needed to make new ideas come to life.

The 70s marked the early days of blueprinting, when mocking-up and prototyping first became imperative to many industries. However, during this time, this process had not yet been digitized. Therefore, designers had to use drafting tables, pens, rules, curves, templates and scales to put their ideas in motion. This process was not only time consuming, but it was also prone to error and inaccessible to many people. Additionally, these tools were not cheap, furthering the inaccessibility of design. For these reasons, technical drawing and physical mock-ups were exclusive to professionals and those who needed it for important projects.

The dawn of digitized design began in the 80s, as CAD software was invented and spread to most of the high level designers and engineers of the time. The workspace was a large, clunky computer monitor that consisted of the screen, a stylus and a keyboard. The stylus was used to allow designers to draw their ideas onto a pad that would then transfer the strokes to a digital display. Although this process was leaps and bounds ahead of those of the previous decade, the concept was far from perfect. To own one of these monitors it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, however, to just have a seat at one of the stations was still a shocking $50,000.

CAD as it is known today was officially introduced in the 90s through an office-style desk monitor as the workspace using the common keyboard and a mouse. Although these still sold for over $100,000, the software became compatible with a variety of different monitors and processing systems, which helped to lower the cost. While the average price per seat of this CAD model was $14,000 to $20,000, bringing CAD software to Windows machines became much cheaper than dedicated CAD workstations. In fact, the price per seat was lowered to $4,000 under these conditions.

CAD today is now widely accessible across disciplines and uses. The software can be used to design and produce anything, from big pieces of machinery like industrial equipment, submarines or airplanes, to the small pieces of life like ice cream machines, dumbbells or household robots. From the most complex to the simple, CAD is a powerful tool for planning and design that has evolved over time. 2024 has been considered the Golden Age of Design for CAD developers, as the software can now be used on laptops or other portable devices. Gone are the days of needing monitors and stationary seats. Professionals and creatives alike, as well as kids and or students can use the software from anywhere or on the go to create something new.

Because of how popular CAD has become, the software has inspired a global community of makers to come together and share their love for this technology. These communities can be found in every corner of the world and often meet at conferences or to share speeches and ideas for future developments within the software. Notable figures include Marc Raibert, the founder of Boston Dynamics, or Jamie Siminoff, entrepreneur and CEO of Ring. The international community that follows some of these voices make up over 200 different user groups consisting of over 8 million total enthusiasts. It is largely thanks to these interest groups and these leading voices that CAD continues to receive the support and funding it needs to keep developing to meet the needs of today’s workforce.

The new age of CAD software has just begun, largely thanks to the introduction of artificial intelligence and its integration into many of our systems. In 2025 and beyond, leaders in both the CAD and AI space are working towards complete integration of the two models. This would add the component of a design assistant when using CAD, creating a virtual companion for designers. It also allows for AI and machine learning to produce highly accurate and detailed drawings, more complex and helpful than previously possible through human design. Especially as industries like engineering and architecture move further into the AI age, there is no doubt that CAD will evolve alongside it, creating the most advanced and capable model of all time.

Have you read?
America’s Best Executive Search Firms.
Countries with the Fastest Population Decline.
Countries With The Highest Income And Wealth Equality.
Largest and Smallest Countries (Population).